Suggestion
by nosuchuser
Summary: In which Stein is unconventional and Marie doesn't know how to react.


**AN:** I have been infected by Stein/Marie fluff-syndrome. Blame DollyPop12. (Also this is my first attempt at fluff. I am so bad at this fssst-!)

Soul Eater belongs to Atsushi Ōkubo.

* * *

Sometimes, Franken Stein couldn't quite comprehend how his life had turned out this way. He always had assumed that he would never fully experience human emotions to the same extent as other people. Everything in his life had been decided upon by three key things: logic, reason, and a pinch of insanity. It was for that very reason he often had assumed to himself that he would continue going about his life as an empty shell, more machine than man. Emotions to him had always seemed... _pointless_. They would cloud your judgement just as much as madness, adding a severe and crippling weakness to the human race. No, Stein was not the sort of man who allowed emotions to affect him. He was far too clinical for that nonsense.

That was until she had come along.

She was kind, sweet, a calming force needed to quieten down his neurotic tendencies. She never questioned him and stood beside him firmly, even when he doubted himself. When he found himself battling the madness brought on by the Kishin, she was there without hesitation to heal and comfort him when he was at his darkest point. And as time went on, each day being spent with her becoming a precious treasure, the brilliant meister finally realised something about himself. He _could_ feel human emotions. _She_ had brought that out of him.

Franken Stein was mad, yes, but he was also madly in love with Marie Mjölnir.

 _Marie_. The woman who, like a spark of lightning, reignited the soul within him and brought him back to life. It was because of her that his fate had taken a drastic and unexpected turn (one which he was embracing and fervently excited about). The small glimmer of a _new_ soul inside of her was proof of that.

It was the eve after the coronation of the new Lord Death as the two walked home from the celebrations, her much smaller body enveloped protectively by his comparably giant frame, that Stein decided to make another large step down this path she had led him to. She was chatting away to him merrily, making wistful comments about how beautiful the stars were and sentimentally reminiscing of years ago when she had once babysat their new ruler. There was nothing particularly special about the situation, yet both were content with each other's company.

"Kid has grown up so much!" Marie had sighed, yet there was an edge of pride in her voice as she spoke. Stein made no comment, content just listening to her. He supplied the occasional nod in agreement, whilst a small smile remained set firmly on his scarred face. "His father would be so proud of him. Remember how cute he was when he was a baby? Even back then, everything had to be symmetrical. What a little perfectionist he was..."

"I remember him as more of an annoyance actually."

"Oh don't be such a grump, Franken!"

The sight of her pouting made the meister chuckle quietly as he hunched over to drape an arm around her shoulders, his other hand shoving deep into the pocket of his lab-coat. It was a simple, gentle moment. Just the two of them (three, if one was to count the tiny budding soul safely held inside Marie), casually strolling down the streets of Death City together. Her presence brought a satisfying warmth to his very core, one which could warm anyone on the coldest winter day. Stein wanted every living moment of each day to follow to be just as simple, yet wonderful, as this.

His large hand which was shoved deep inside his pocket tightened around something. Now seemed to be the right moment for him to finally make a suggestion he'd had on his mind for a while.

"I was reading _The Death City Times_ this morning," he began in that usual monotone of his, as though he was talking about something as mundane as the weather. "And apparently, recent studies find that married couples have generally better health and longer life expectancies than couples which have yet to tie the knot."

His companion abruptly halted her pace, her one good eye widening and her mouth falling open in surprise. It was amusing – she rather looked like a fish gulping for air at that specific moment in time, Stein couldn't help but muse to himself. The scientist smirked to himself, before squatting down so his face was level with Marie's stomach. One hand was placed over where her bellybutton sat, and his sardonic grin softened into a smile at the feeling of that warm soul pulsing beneath his palm.

"Now, obviously, we want you to have better health for the sake of our little Ein," he continued, ignoring Marie's still rather shocked expression.

The blonde woman blinked her single caramel eye a few times, eventually able to stir herself out of her stupor. Releasing a small huff and crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced down at her… partner? Boyfriend? Meister? It was hard to tell exactly _what_ they were at times.

Relationship status aside, the death scythe shook her head and stated with a hint of exasperation, "We are not calling the baby "Ein", Franken."

"Why not? He's a Stein," He was grinning up at her again with that mischievous glimmer in his dark eyes. The one which seemed to even reflect and glint off his glasses. With the next words spoken, the man slipped back into his native Bavarian accent. " _Ein_ Stein. Or Stein junior number 1…. When the next ones come along, we can name them Zwei, Drei, Vier, Funf…"

His weapon partner felt the blood rush to her face, her cheeks blossoming like crimson roses.

"F-Franken! Who said anything about more than _one_?!"

The Norwegian woman's stuttering was cut off when Stein stood up once more, brushing his lab-coat off and shoving his hands back deeply inside his pockets.

"Anyway, the fact is that you're dodging my rather obvious suggestion, Marie."

Curse him and his directness! Stein was as blunt as his scalpels were sharp. It tended to catch the weapon off guard, such as right there and then. If it was possible at all, Marie's complexion had turned a deeper shade of red whilst she mentally flailed around, trying to grasp hold of the situation.

" _What? WHAT?! What on Earth is going on? Is he testing me?! He's definitely testing me. Maybe this is just a joke. That wouldn't surprise me, that teasing bastard."_

But even though the words were roiling and tumbling around in her head, all that came out of the hammer was a strange, strangled little noise which sounded like something between a squeak and a gargle.

Stein raised an eyebrow at her flustered reaction, his face dead-pan and completely void of any hint of emotion. His tone of voice was just as monotone as his expression.

"Don't you want better health? I want better health."

"So help me Death, you had better not be joking!" the short woman snapped, cheeks puffed out slightly as she stamped one foot. It was a well-known fact not to kid around with Marie the Pulveriser: she never took it well. "This really isn't funny if you're just messing around with me!"

A heavy sigh ghosted past Stein's chapped lips, his head shaking slightly with an apparent frustration. His intonation remained just as dry as ever when he mumbled, "Guess I have to spell it out for you, then."

Finally, his hand was removed from his pocket. A small, black box came out with it. The man extended his arm and dropped the small item into Marie's hands, remaining calm and casual throughout. Almost as though he really didn't care about what was going on.

The amber iris of Miss Mjölnir drifted over to the box, then to Stein, then back to the box. Once again, she was left speechless. Any words she might have been able to throw together were effectively stuck in her throat, almost suffocating her. All the while, her mind was screaming at her: _"what is going on?!"_

Instinctively, her hands fumbled at the box and clicked it open, revealing a simple band of gold and silver intertwined strands nestled inside. The ring was simple, elegant, yet the way the strands wrapped around each other reminded her of Stein's familiar stitches.

Her eye once more returned to said man, whose previous neutral expression had been replaced by a soft smile. It was unusual to see such a serene expression on the meister. Marie's heart skipped a beat.

"Marie Elisabeth Mjölnir… I suggest we get married. Don't you agree?"

It wasn't what Marie had expected. He never got down on one knee, there was no heavenly choir or backdrop of fluttering rose petals. No flashy monstrosity of a diamond either. This wasn't a fairytale proposal, the one she had imagined ever since she was a little girl running around her bedroom in a white princess dress with a pillow case on her head.

This was much better.

Salty pools began to well up in her amber eye, threatening to spill over. Yet the way her lips curved upwards delicately betrayed any appearance of sorrow. Her soul fluttered, joy trembling inside of her.

"I agree."

The smile of her meister grew slightly, and for a moment their resonance link seemed to automatically connect. The same feelings passed between them in that instant, and for that moment everything felt _right_ in the world.

Stein eventually turned his gaze to his fiancée's stomach.

"Your mum made a wise decision, Ein."

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

 **AN:** This is so short and derpy and I have no clue what I'm doing.


End file.
